A One-cup Life

A One-Cup Life

Glynnis Whitwer

Flour-dusted shirts, sticky hands, and two happy little faces gathered in my kitchen for an afternoon of baking. The counters were covered with bowls, spoons, and ingredients as my young daughters scooped, measured, and stirred their way through a Baking 101 lesson.

Part of the learning process involved reading the recipe. So when the recipe called for 1½ cups of milk, I asked my youngest daughter to retrieve the two-cup liquid measure. She made it to the right cabinet, but mistakenly picked out the one-cup measure.

Instead of sending her back to the cabinet, I demonstrated how to make the one-cup measure work. But I also wanted my daughters to understand why we had to make the adjustment. I needed them to know that they couldn’t put 1½ cups of liquid into a one-cup container.

Later, it occurred to me that this principle of measurement applied to more than just milk. How many of us routinely try to cram twelve hours’ worth of tasks into an eight-hour workday? We say yes to more activities than we have time for, and take on more responsibilities than we have energy for. Then we wonder why we can’t find a healthy balance to life.

For years I tried to put too much into my schedule. “Yes” slipped off my tongue with little thought and no prayer. I’d collapse at night, exhausted and annoyed. It was a hard way to live, as I constantly felt like there was one more thing I should be doing. And even what I did accomplish never seemed enough.

My breakthrough came one day when I decided to write down everything I had to do on one piece of paper—which soon became two. I included everything: phone calls I needed to make, emails I needed to send, projects I needed to start, and more projects I needed to finish. The list included tasks for that day as well as things I had to do for projects due in upcoming months.

Reviewing the list left me feeling overwhelmed, but it also brought some relief. Once my responsibilities were in one place, the problem was obvious. I was trying to fit 1½ cups’ worth of commitments into a one-cup life.

I knew I had to simplify and let some things go. It wasn’t easy, but after a year of cutting back on commitments, I finally had a more manageable, focused, and productive life. With every subtraction, I gained an additional measure of peace.

In the process, I learned I always have exactly enough time to do what God wants me to do: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). The key to balance is seeking God’s will for me in this season, and not spending time on assignments meant for other people.

Overcommitting myself is always a temptation. But with God’s wisdom and an updated list of all my commitments, I get ongoing reality checks that help me make wise decisions. And although I’m not really good at math, I know that a cup and a half of something will never fit in a one-cup container.

Dear Lord, You have uniquely created me and equipped me for the service You’ve determined. And yet so many times I try to take on responsibility that’s not mine. Help me to be content with my assignment and to work at it joyfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

REMEMBER

To live a balanced life, we need to make sure our commitments match our available time and energy.

REFLECT

What factors typically lead you to overcommit yourself?

RESPOND

Consider those responsibilities over which you have control. Which ones should be pruned from your schedule?

POWER VERSES

Isaiah 26:3; 1 Peter 5:8